ITALY: EMILIA-ROMAGNA

1. Italy - Region Emilia Romagna - Province of Bologna
The Province of Bologna has a surface area of 370,244 square km,
with a total population of over 900,000 inhabitants. It is administratively
 divided into 60 Municipalities:
2. List of the "Comuni" of the Province

3. EMILIA-ROMAGNA - BACKGROUND:

The first settlements appeared in the Neolithic and Iron ages on the banks of the rivers. Later came Ligurians, Celts, Etruscans and Umbrians. The first systematic arrangement of the territory was conducted by Romans who made this region a fortified base between Italy and Gaul. Here was traced the road via Emilia along which were built the most important cities, except Ravenna and Ferrara. After Romans the greatest part of the territory was conquered by Lombards; only Ravenna and Forli' still belonged to eastern Roman empire, Ravenna became even a capital of it, and the territory around these cities was called Romania, later modified into Romagna. Thanks to the geographical position and rich agricultural resources this region nearly for all of its history was quite prosperous.

In the times of Renaissance here took place the great urbanistic revolution, by the order of Ercole I d'Este the architect Biagio Rossetti projected the "new" Ferrara, called "the first modern city of Europe". But the transformation of the territory touched not only the cities, but the country sides as well. Here were built numerous irrigation channels, introduced new plants and etc. In times of pontifical government the region suffered from a long crisis till 1860, the year of annexation of Emilia-Romagna to Italy. Since then the work of improvement of the land organization continued. This time were involved not only the plain zones but also the mountain and the hill parts, where 65 % of territory was adapted to cultivation and use. Here were built  the aqueducts, power lines, methane pipelines, roads and highways. At the same time took place the development of industry and tourism. Thus, the region of Emilia-Romagna is considered to be one of the best places to live in Italy.

5. Position.

Emilia-Romagna is one of the most extended regions of Italy; it is limited by
 the Adriatic, the Apennines and Po. Borders on Lombardy and Veneto
  (north), Liguria and Piedmont (west), Tuscany and Marche (south),
 the Adriatic Sea (east). Between Romagna and Marche the little independent
 Republic of San Marino is located.

6. Climate.

There are three climates presented in Emilia-Romagna. In the plain
 zones the climate is continental (cold and foggy winters, hot and humid summers);
 in mountain zones the climate is of Alpine type (cold and foggy winters and
 cool summers);
in the seaside zones  the climate is moderate with cold winds from north-east.

Bologna

January: -0.4 C

July: 23 C

Altitudes

plain: 48%

hill: 27%

mountain: 25%

7. Landscape.

The mountain part of the region are poor of fertile lands and vegetation,
while the plain zones introduce one of the most animated landscapes of
 the northern Italy. Here predominates little and medium private agricultural
 businesses, as well as big companies with a great number of employees,
and cooperatives.

The region is rich of rivers (Po, Trebbia, Nure, Arda, Taro, Parma, Enza,
Secchia, Panaro, Reno, Rubicone, Marecchia, Conca) most of which are
 born in the Apennines.

8. Communications.

The main communication ways are via Emilia, the ancient Roman tract.
 Parallel to it go a railway and a highway; because of its position the region
 is obliged to serve as a transit between Northern and southern Italy.
Ravenna is an important sea port with a notable traffic of goods thanks to
developed industrial production. There are two airports, the most important
 one is in Bologna and the second is in Rimini used in summer period for
 international charter flights.

Tourism

Total: 42 400 000

Italians: 75%

Foreigners: 25%

Employment

agriculture: 7%

industry: 35%

commerce,

tourism: 58%

9. Agriculture and breeding.

The agriculture in Emilia-Romagna is one of the most progressive in Italy
 organized with the limited usage of working hands and with modern technical
equipment. The principal cultivated growings are: corn, maize,  sugar beet,
 fruits (peach, strawberry, cherry, pear, apple, apricot, plum); vegetables.
 The breeding of cattle is on the second place in Italy after Lombardy.
 Here is very well developed the production of wines a big part of which
 is exported to the United States. The fishing is also notable
 (1/5 of national fish product).

10. Industry.

Emilia-Romagna is the only Italian region which projected its development
 according to the very precise model concentrated on little and
medium private business and cooperatives. Here was denied to build
 big industrial complexes with the exception of two chemical plants in
 Ferrara (Montedison) and in Ravenna (Anic). The basic productions
 apart from those traditional (transformation of agricultural and breeding
products) are: metal-mechanics (production of Ferrari in Maranello),
 textile, clothing, chemical, glass, pharmaceutical, furniture and
 construction materials; high technological mechanics and electronics.

Hydroenergy Italy:

44 000 000 kWh

Emilia-Romagna:

1 100 000 kWh

Thermoenergy Italy:

128 000 000 kWh

Emilia-Romagna:

8 200 000 kWh

Births (per 1000)

Italy: 9.9

Emilia-Romagna: 6.8

Deaths (per 1000)

Italy: 9.3

Emilia-Romagna: 11.1

Remnant

Italy: 0.6

Emilia-Romagna: -4.3

11. Population.

The distribution of the population in the region is very balanced,
none of the urbanistic centers has got predominating demographic
 or other functions. The important commercial and industrial center
 as Bologna has only 1/9 of the population of Emilia-Romagna.

The second aspect is a tendency to increase of the population,
but it is not due to the birth-rate which is even lower than mortality,
 but to the fact of greater number of immigrants than of emigrants.

12. Life.

Emilia-Romagna is a rich region, it is on the 3rd place after Lombady
 and Valle d'Aosta by the product per inhabitant. In the rate of the
 richest cities of Italy Bologna is the 1st, Parma is the 5th, Ravenna
 is the 8th, Modena is the 9th, Reggio Emilia is the 11th. Emilia-Romagna
 is on the 4th place by the consumption of goods and services per inhabitant.
 Women and men here live longer lives than an average Italian.
The percent of people with University degree in this region is the
 highest in northern Italy; and it is the 3rd in Italy by the number of school
graduates. The quality of life is high (see the tables below).
 Here the number of crimes is inferior to the average Italian
 rate and the lowest in central-northern Italy.

Inhabitants per car

Italy: 2.0

Emilia-Romagna: 1.7

Expenses for sport/recreation

(liras per inhabitant)

Italy: 48 500

Emilia-Romagna: 95 700

13. Provinces and communes.

The region is divided in eight provinces: Bologna, Ferrara,
 Forli', Modena, Parma, Piacenza, Ravenna, Reggio nell'Emilia,
 and Rimini with 341 communes.

14. אמיליה